The 19 greatest name changes in sports, RANKED

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Donte Whitner announced Wednesday he’d be changing his name to Donte Hitner, an unfortunate choice given both the NFL’s ongoing shift toward becoming a flag football league and because of Hitner’s similarities to the surname of one of history’s greatest monsters. Needless to say, Donte Hitner won’t make our list of the 19 greatest name changes in sports. But who does? We’ve divided the contestants into five separate categories, each for the various reasons an athlete might change a name. Mr. Hitner’s candidacy in our first classification, of course.

Attention-seeking

(USA TODAY Sports Images)

4. Stylez White (Greg White) — If someone said they were going to change their name based off a classic character from a Michael J. Fox movie, you’d think they’d go with Marty McFly, Doc Brown or Biff Tannen. Not Greg White, formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He chose the name of Teen Wolf’s best friend, Stiles. “I always liked that name,” he said upon making the change in 2008. The spelling was all his own.

3. Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) — The former Ron Artest said he’s planning another name change in the future, long after anyone will have stopped caring.

2. Joe Theismann (Joe Theismann) — It’s a story that changes depending on whoever’s telling it, but the basic facts remain the same: In 1967, Notre Dame freshman quarterback Joe Theismann (pronounced THEES-min) became Joe Theismann (THIGHS-min). It was part of a bid to get Heisman Trophy voters to think of the quarterback with the rhyming last name. It almost worked — in 1970, Theismann finished second to Stanford QB Jim Plunkett in the voting.

1. Chad Ochocinco (Chad Johnson) — Remember when Chad Johnson’s schtick felt like a breath of fresh air? We do, which is why the Ochocino era is No. 1 on this list.

Religion

(AP)

4. Hakeem Olajuwon (Akeem Olajuwon) — It was a slight change, but the Nigerian-born NBA great altered his first name in 1991 to reflect the proper Arabic spelling.

3. Ahmad Rashad (Bobby Moore) — Moore was an All-American running back at Oregon. He converted to Islam before his rookie season in the NFL and changed his name to Ahmad Rashad.

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) — Alcindor was the greatest prep star of his generation, leading New York’s Power Memorial to 71 straight wins. He helped UCLA win three titles during his college days (and led to the “Lew Alcindor Rule,” which banned dunking), then won an NBA crown in his second year with the Milwaukee Bucks. The day after winning that title, Alcindor announced he was changing him name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which means “generous servant of the mighty one.”

1. Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) — Cassius Clay, the Olympic gold medalist and heavyweight champion, announced his conversion to Islam after beating Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title. He was known as Cassius X for a short period of time, before Elijah Muhammad gave him the name Muhammad Ali. For years, publications like The New York Times would refuse to refer to him as Muhammad Ali, instead sticking with his given name of Clay.

2. Marvelous Marvin Hagler (Marvin Hagler) — The boxing great legally took Marvelous as his first name in 1982 after having felt under-appreciated by the press.

1. Tiger Woods (Eldrick Woods) — There have long been reports that Tiger Woods officially dropped his given name “Eldrick” on his 21st birthday. But his divorce papers listed him as “Eldrick Tont Woods,” suggesting no such legal change had taken place.

1. World B. Free (Lloyd B. Free) — People had been calling Lloyd Free “World” ever since junior high thanks to his 360-degree dunks. That his nickname also turned into a call for peace didn’t hurt, so he changed his name during the 1981 NBA season.

Practicality

(AP)

4. Ervin Santana (Johan Santana) — Not wanting to be compared to the other Johan Santana, the young Angels pitcher changed his name to Ervin.

3. J.B. Holmes (John Holmes) — Not wanting to be compared to the other John Holmes (a porn star), the young golfer changed his name to J.B.

2. Jose Uribe (Jose Gonzalez) — “There are too many Gonzálezes in baseball,” Jose Gonzalez said after he was part of a trade to the San Francisco Giants for Jack Clark. As such, the young shortstop took his mother’s maiden name. This earned him the title as the “ultimate player to be named later.”

1. Sugar Ray Robinson (Walker Smith Jr.) — The future middleweight champion was only 14 when he tried his first AAU bout. The minimum age requirement was 16. Young Walker Smith borrowed a card from his buddy, Ray Robinson, and the rest is history.

Team names

4. Washington Wizards (Washington Bullets) — The reason for the name change was admirable. The end result was not.

4. Tampa Bay Rays (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) — You’re forgiven if you still throw in a “Devil” every now and again.

3. Denver Nuggets (Denver Rockets) — The ABA team was named after owner Bill Ringsby’s Rocket Trucking System. When the team was bought by new owners in 1974, the name was changed to honor Denver’s role in the mining boom.

2. Charlotte Hornets (Charlotte Bobcats) — This is the last year the Charlotte NBA franchise will be named for its original owner, Bob Johnson. The old name returns in 2014, hopefully accompanied by teal jerseys and flat tops.

1. Chicago Bears (Chicago Staleys) — The Decatur Staleys moved to Chicago in 1921. Part of the deal was that George Halas would keep the team name — taken from the Staley starch company — for one year. After moving into Wrigley Field, the team thought about honoring the baseball team by taking their name, but opted for the similar, but bigger, Bears.

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